Companies Don't Get Killed by Competition, They Commit Suicide

This is very true. Unfortunately not enough entrepreneurs out there get this. There are exceptions to the rule but there are exceptions to everything somewhere. Generally speaking though, if your company fails, more often than not, it's because of you, your team (or lack of a team), your inexperience, etc... There is a long list of reasons why a startup my fail, but at the top of that list, it's usually because the founders fail.

1. The fact that this was written a couple of years ago and that they have done just fine since that time adds weight to the article.

2. Taking this concept at its word suggests a simple startup strategy: look for the largest, most successful companies and enter their space. You know there is a huge paying market, and, if competition isn't a killer, then why not move in?

There is a lot of worry out there in the entrepreneurial community about competition. Almost no market is a zero-sum game, even when you could "get killed" by a huge player there is always room for you to form a niche. Pretend you have no competition at all, and unless you keep hearing from former and potential customers that they prefer MS whatever, don't worry about it.

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http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=709452